VISITORS entering a South-East Clare village this week could be forgiven for thinking they had been transported to Kilkenny as black and amber flags are at full mast.
Clonlara is adorned with black and amber bunting and colours in the run-up to the eagerly-awaited All-Ireland Junior B Hurling decider in Killeedy this Sunday.
While Leinster and Kilkenny champions, Conahy Shamrocks have been installed as pre-match favourites, based on their impressive form to date, hopes are high that Jim Gully’s charges can continue to upset the odds.
Clonlara parish priest, Fr Pat Greed told The Clare Champion the team’s success has united the whole parish and generated a great “buzz of excitement” in the run-up to the final.
In spite of injuries to a few key players and the loss of others through emigration, Fr Greed said Clonlara has managed to reach the decider against the odds, as some pundits hadn’t expected them to get so far in this new competition.
Since Fr Greed was appointed parish priest five years ago, Clonlara has enjoyed a fairytale run of success, winning Clare and Munster intermediate hurling titles, as well as the coveted Canon Hamilton Trophy in 2008.
He insisted that some locals are treating the match as seriously as an All-Ireland club senior final because it is a “big deal” for any parish to reach the last stage in any GAA competition.
“Clonlara has shown great character and determination to win some games against the odds, following the loss of some key players. Hopefully, the team will get the luck they will need against the Kilkenny champions, who will be formidable opposition.
“People are looking forward to this final as much as if it was a senior championship decider. I know the team will do their very best on the day to win this game and regardless of the result, they have already enjoyed a great year at junior level.
“Jim Gully has proven to be an astute manager, winning intermediate and senior honours in recent years. He brings great enthusiasm and experience to the job and the Clonlara management team have done a very good job to date,” he said.
Local county councillor, Michael Begley said it is fantastic for any club to reach an All-Ireland final, regardless of the grade.
Unlike a lot of senior clubs, Clonlara don’t have an intermediate team so their Junior B side represent their second adult team, which Councillor Begley believes will provide four or five valuable players for their senior panel.
“It is something of a novelty for the club to reach an All-Ireland final, having missed out on the intermediate All-Ireland crown in 2007 after losing the semi-final.
“It could be the start of a new era for our senior team. It is great to be playing an All-Ireland final in a small club like Killeedy in West Limerick,” he said.

Gully aims to steer Clonlara to another title

Sports Editor, Seamus Hayes
JIM Gully’s name will always hold a special place in Clonlara GAA history, having managed the club to intermediate honours in 2007, followed by senior championship and Clare Champion Cup successes a year later.
At the end of that season, he did not seek re-election to the post of team manager and there were fears in some quarters that he might not return to team management.
However, Gully is a committed clubman and after a year’s break, he returned in 2010 with the U-16s and helped them reached the county semi-final. He was also the trainer of the junior B team that year and they also reached the semi-final, as well as the final of the junior A league, where they lost to Crusheen. Last year he stepped up to the manager’s role with the junior B team, who are now just one step away from being crowned All-Ireland champions, having won the Clare Junior B Championship title for the first time in the club’s history back in October.
Seamus Hogg is the team trainer and Mike Stritch and Mike Hannon are team selectors.
How does this compare to the huge hype that engulfed Clonlara when they were crowned Clare senior champions in 2008?
“People realise that it is still a big day for these players and playing a Kilkenny team makes it all the better. Everybody wants to be playing against Kilkenny, the leading hurling county,” replied Jim.
“A lot of the players have helped us out in the intermediate and senior in the last few years. They kept us going and never got the glory of the big day but this is it. I am delighted for them as we owed them something. They sat on the bench but had contributed and deserve this big day,” stressed the team boss.
The Clonlara manager is “very sad” to be going into the final without team captain Alan O’Connell. “His contribution to this has been phenomenal. Brian Woods’ chances of playing are slim and he will also be a huge loss. He missed out on the senior final in 2008 also. It’s a major double blow to us.” Gully confirmed Jason Murphy will lead the team in Sunday’s final.
With regard to their final opponents, Conahy Shamrocks, Gully said, “All we know about them is that Nicky Brennan is from there. They beat the Galway champions in the Leinster final by a point and we did the same to them in the semi-final, so that suggests there shouldn’t be much in it.”
The management team won’t finalise their starting line-up until near match time because of the U-21 game on Friday and to give Woods every chance to be available to play some part.
Jason Murphy, William Slattery and Fergal Marren provide the experience and they will be hoping to lead the way to an historic victory.
“It’s a great honour to be in an All-Ireland final, no matter what. The progress of this team puts the club in a strong position,” Gully concluded.
Sunday’s final will throw in at 2pm at the Killeedy club grounds in Raheen in County Limerick, between Newcastle West and Drumcollogher. The competition has been running since 2005 and, according to Killeedy PRO, Michael Begley, it has gone from success to success.